What I've Been Looking For
by reindeerguardian
Summary: Feferi makes her moirail watch "High School Musical" and he develops a thing for Sharpay Evans


Cuttlefishculler [cc] began trolling Caligulasaquarium [ca]

CC: -Eridan!

CC: Guess w)(at!

CC: AR-E YOU GONNA ANSW-ER M-E?! 38U

CA: geez fef wwhaddya wwant cant a guy go a minute wwithout gettin his ear fins glubbed off

CC: 38O! Not w)(en )(is moray eel N—E—EDS )(im!

CA: yeah yeah okay wwhats up

CC: pack your overnig)(t bag, buoy, you're coming to my )(ive!

CC: we're )(aving a SL-E-EPOV-ER!

CA: dont I havve a say in this

CC: )(mm…nope!

CC: so get your bass over )(ere!

CA: cant argue wwith that

CA: see ya in a bit

CC: Sea you!

Caligulasaquarium [ca] ceased trolling Cuttlefishculler [cc]

When Feferi Peixes wanted you to do something, you did it, by god. Ah well, a sleepover with Feferi isn't that bad. It's actually one of the few things Eridan Ampora enjoyed in life, spending time with his moirail. The two of them hadn't actually had a real sleepover since they were very young, and with age came a reasonable barrier between the two. But that didn't mean she ruled the idea out completely. It was a rare and glorious occasion.

He tossed some clothes into a small bag, along with a few seashells he'd picked up for her collection. He slung the bag over his shoulder. He rubbed his lusus affectionately along the snout before murmuring goodbye and beginning the semi-long journey to her hive, a reasonable depth into the sea.

He was greeted with her throwing open one of the many doors to her palace of a home and her arms being tossed over his shoulders in a hug that sent him reeling back a ways. He'd laughed and returned the gesture, her hair billowing out all around them. She pulled him into her hive and they plopped down near her recuperacoon –he had to shoo a few cuttlefish out of the way in the process.

"Fef, why on Alternia don't you just get rid of these little bastards?" He hissed, swatting one away.

"Aw, quit your carping! They're very darling and I tell you every single time you come over that I can't just get rid of them they're-"

"They're like family, I know, I know." He grumbled, grinning as he watched her pat one lovingly.

"Now then!" She giggled, standing up and turning toward the TV set. "I borrowed this movie from Karkat, who borrowed it from John, so we're gonna watch it." He rolled his eyes.

"So, because through some subsequence of events you borrowed a movie from a human, I have to sit through it with you?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow at her. He put off any landweller remarks for her sake. Feferi had a strange fascination with humans, one that he decided not to bring up.

"Exactly!" she chimed, extracting the disk from its case and placing it in the DVD player. He stretched himself out on the floor in what he considered an undignified pose; something he found he rarely did with anyone but her. Not that she noticed or minded.

"Alright. What are we watchin, then?" he inquired lazily, watching her from his spot on the floor as she readied the movie, floating back to sit beside him when she was done.

"Just wait and see!" she smiled, directing her attention to the screen. He huffed a bit, but faced his eyes forward anyways.

These two human kids are introduced. It is painfully obvious that they're going to be in a matespritship or something. Smart bookish girl meets athletic popular guy, the situation is so cliché he can barely stand it. And then they're suddenly forced to sing together. Ah the beauty of Earthern truisms. This movie, he found, was utter and complete absolute trash. If landwellers were the bane of his planet, humans were the bane of existence. They wouldn't know a decent film if it snuck up on them in their sleep and forced its way into their ears. They were singing. Why were they all singing?! Did humans all just randomly burst into song in the middle of lunch? It was ridiculous. The plot was terrible. The characters were abhorable. The music was deplorable. And yet, he couldn't look away.

The only character Eridan found he could tolerate was the blonde girl-sharpay. As a matter of fact he felt a bit attached to her. She was alluring. She was Feferi and Vriska rolled into one. Her relationship with her brother Ryan put him off though. It reminded him vaguely of Vriska and Tavros. But she was grace, sophistication and elegance, and yet she was spunk, sass and nerve at the same time. She knew her place and wouldn't let anyone stop her from reaching her goals. Not to mention her fashion sense was impeccable.

He glanced over at Feferi. She was totally enraptured with this garbage. He thought it was strange how relatively quiet she was being-she usually talked her way through movies. Maybe she just liked this one too much to speak. She leaned onto his shoulder and he twirled a strand of her hair absently. He honestly didn't know what he'd do without her. He'd certainly be a mess.

He glanced back at the screen and noted his favorite character getting ready to audition for that play she's so worked up about. She and her brother are perched on stage, ready as ever. Music starts playing and the two are dancing, and Ryan opens his mouth and starts singing.

_It's hard to believe_

_That I couldn't see_

_You were always there beside me_

_Thought I was alone_

_With no one to hold_

_But you were always right beside me_

_This feeling's like no other_

_I want you to know_

_I've never had someone that knows me like you do_

_The way you do_

_I've never had someone as good for me as you_

_No one like you_

_So lonely before_

_I've finally found _

_What I've been looking for_

Eridan was surprised at how hard these lyrics were hitting him. This was a dumb little human movie with no plot and terrible characterization-save the wonderful Sharpay-why on Alternia did he feel so moved? He looked at the heiress leaning into him and wondered if she was feeling the same way. Were his inclinations even pale anymore? He couldn't tell. How messed up was that? All he did know was that Feferi Peixes made him feel good. Wanted, appreciated, loved, needed. He'd met her four sweeps ago, and though it seemed like a long time, every second he spent with her flew by as though time were trying to fuck him over. Before he could blink they'd probably be grown adults, her an empress and he her aid-in every way. Or so he hoped. Even at two sweeps old, he knew he'd do whatever he could to serve her and make her happy. Because that's what she deserved.

_So good to be seen_

_So good to be heard_

_I don't have to say a word_

_So long I was lost_

_So good to be found_

_I'm loving having you around_

_This feeling's like no other_

_I want you to know_

_I've never had someone that knows me like you do_

_The way you do_

_I've never had someone as good for me as you_

_No one like you_

_So lonely before_

_I've finally found_

_What I've been looking for_

Feferi was everything that he wasn't. Where he was sullen and self-centered she was bright and he was partial to his home and working on his projects, she was always trying to drag him off somewhere on an adventure, to just have fun and be carefree.

"We're gonna turn around and before we know it, we're not gonna be kids anymore. We're gonna have to do all this work and never have fun and never do the things we want to. There's gonna be so much expected of us. We should do as much as we can now, before things get complicated." She's always telling him things like that. And while she's in no hurry to grow up, he can't wait. Can't wait to become who he was born to be. He can't wait to carry on the Orphaner's legacy. Feferi has so much she's going to do right, she's going to be a wonderful empress and he tells her this daily. She tells him that being the Empress is a huge responsibility, and it's not one she's striving to get too early. Take each day as it comes. Live in the moment, be a kid while you can. He disagrees greatly, but refrains from telling her so. She is his other half, the only thing that keeps him sane. He is unbelievably pale for this girl, it's almost disgusting. Or was it that he was disgustingly red for her? Perhaps both. Either way, he loved her a great deal.

He snaps out of his thoughts to an elbow in his chest.

"Eridan? " She's looking at him strangely. And he blink a few times at her.

"Yeah?"

"You keep doing that." She giggles.

"Doing what?"

"Spacing out every time Sharpay is onscreen." She replies, grinning widely.

"I do not." He says indignantly.

"Do to."

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

He rolls his eyes and ignores her, trying to get back into the movie-trying to see past all these goddamn cuttlefish- but she's watching him now, looking for any sign of change in emotion. She's silent for a long time, her face bunched up thoughtfully and he wants to pinch her cheeks or something pale like that, but he's trying to prove a point by ignoring her. He focuses on the movie. What's happening? Sharpay's upset about callbacks. He smiles at her theatrics and is definitely reminded of the heiress sitting next to him. She watches his face and makes a loud gasping noise, like she's just figured out the biggest secret in the world.

"You!" she cries, pointing at him and breaking into an even wider grin that showed off all the daggers in her mouth, her voice rising to a pitch in excitement, "You totally have a-"

"I _do not_!" he shrieks before she can even finish her sentence.

"Yes you do! You have a flushcrush on _Sharpay Evans_!" She's laughing, doubled over in laughter at his side. He can feel the blood rising to his face as he tries to deny her implications.

"I do not! Why on Alternia would you think that? She's a glubbing _human_! Why would I like her? She's not even real! _Why do you think that_?!"

Her gills are fluttering as she tries to calm down enough to give an answer.

"Because, she's totally your type! And I can tell when you're flushing for someone." she says matter-of-factly. _No you can't _he thinks, but he ignores the last bit, outwardly anyway.

"Since when do I have a 'type'?" He asks incredulously. She's laughing again and she only ignores his outrage, patting him on the shoulder and turning back to the screen.

"Aw, don't worry Erifin, I won't tell anyone about your little flushcrush." She giggles. He stares at her for a long time before finally turning back to the movie, wondering what in the world had just happened. The rest of the night goes fairly well, save for some teasing from Feferi about her ridiculous idea, which he promptly denies. Every time Sharpay is onscreen she raises her eyebrows in his direction and he only rolls his eyes.

By the time it's over, he's wondering _why _it's over. He wants to know what happens next. It left him wanting more. He wasn't sure whether to denounce everything he'd previously thought about human films, or to have his head examined. Either way, he was surprised at himself and at the flick he'd just observed. He turned to Feferi, wondering if she felt the same way, wanting to inquire her thoughts. But when he looked at her, she was _goddamn asleep_. How could someone sleep through a masterpiece? Ah well. He sighed and lay beside her, watching her closed eyes as though he expected them to flutter open any moment. He watched the gentle motions of her gills as she breathed silently, her hair-as per usual- was declaring itself a creature on its own and flung its tendrils all around. A few cuttlefish had nested themselves in it and he shooed them away exasperatedly. For once, he wasn't in such a hurry to grow up. He was here, in this moment, happy with his Feferi, whom he knew he couldn't have. Especially not when she was to be an empress. He watched her for a long time before drifting off himself, the lyrics to '_What I've Been Looking For'_ repeating themselves and swirling around in his head until he dipped into unconsciousness.

Cuttlefishculler [cc] began trolling Caligulasaquarium [ca]

CC: )(ey, seally fins, guess w)(at!

CA: if youre gonna start teasin me about you-knoww-wwhat I dont wwanna hear it

CC: O)( PL-EAS-E! Stop being such a guppy. So you like a )(uman from a fictional movie, w)(at's wrong wit)( t)(at?

CA: im not havvin this discussion wwith you again fef

CC: glub glub glub! W)(atever, live in your land of denial.

CC: But t)(at's not w)(at I wanted to talk to you aboat

CC: w)(ale, not t)(at topic –EXACTLY, but it involves )(er, I guess

CA: yeah okay spit it out wwhy dont ya

CC: Are you s)(ore? You don't want me to draw it out a little longer?

CA: nope just go ahead and tell me

CC: okay…..G-ET R-EADY…..

CC: for…..

CC: ….

CC: …

CC:….. ….

CA: cod dammit fef

CC: )(e)(e! Alrig)(t, alrig)(t. S)(ees)(, you're such a grumpy guppy! 38p

CC: Anywaves, I was talking to Karcrab and )(e let me borrow t)(e two sequels to )(igh Sc)(ool Musical!

CA: wwoah wwhat really I didnt evven knoww there wwere sequels

CA: thats fuckin fantastic

CC: But t)(at's not t)(e best part

CA: its not

CA: wwhats the best part then

CC: )(e also let me borrow t)(e spin-off movie

CA: theres a spin off?

CC: Yep! Wanna know w)(at it's called? 38D

CA: sure

CC: It's called 'S)(arpay's Fabulous Adventure'

CA: ….

CA: there's a spin-off about sharpay

CC: Yep! I got it just for you

CA: jesus christ fef youre the best moirail a guy could ask for, y'knoww that?

CC: I know 3;p

CA: I'll be over in a few minutes

CC: sea you then!

CC:

CA: hey fef

CC: yeah?

CA: youre evverythin ivve ever looked for in life

CA: I dunno wwhat id do wwithout you

CA: just thought I'd let you knoww

CA:

Caligulasaquarium [ca] ceased trolling Cuttlefishculler [cc]


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